True Love Conquers All
by Rickman'sGirl-15
Summary: *COMPLETE* Voldemort is gone. Harry will be starting his 7th year. He has been missing his friends terribly, but especially one in particular...HP/HG
1. Last Day at the Dursleys

True Love Conquers All  
  
Summary: It is their 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Voldemort is gone, having been defeated by Harry almost two months ago. Harry is looking forward to the approaching school year because of two reasons: 1) it means Harry will be able to finally leave the Dursleys behind for good and 2) he will get to see all his friends again, but especially one in particular...  
  
Author's Note: This is a story with the main pairing of HG/HP. I'm open to suggestions about any other pairings you might like to see incorporated into the story, and I will try my best!  
  
Disclaimer: All of the HP characters belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling, but she's kind enough to let me borrow them every now and then for my own entertainment...like now, for instance.  
  
Warning: Order of the Phoenix spoilers!!  
  
**************  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Harry awoke to his darkened room at Number Four, Privet Drive. He had been dreaming; he remembered that much, at least, but what had it been about? It had been a nice dream, whatever it was. Harry squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying to remember...His eyes flew open again and he gave an exasperated sigh. All he remembered was a feeling of...familiarity. Yes, that was it. Wherever he had been or who ever he had been with he was extremely comfortable being around. Maybe I was at Hogwarts, thought Harry. Oh well.  
  
He sat up and, in one motion, threw off his meager blanket as his legs went over the side of the bed. Harry proceeded to wipe sleep out of his eyes and run his hands through his hair, causing it to stand on end and giving it that "electrical shock" look that wasn't uncommon with Harry's hair in the first place. He put his glasses on and looked over his shoulder at Hedwig's cage. He had let her out to hunt the night before, but she had yet to return.  
  
Harry gave a little shrug and stood to stretch. He caught sight of his reflection in the mirror in his wardrobe closet. Harry put his arms back down at his sides and stared at himself. The sixteen-almost-seventeen-year- old staring back was scrawny, but not like before. He'd put on some muscle the year before, getting ready for the battle with Voldemort he knew had been coming. It had not been his intention to get a little beefed up, but it had been the outcome. He'd had another growth spurt and was now about 5'8". His hair was still terribly unruly, but at least his bangs served their purpose. They hid his lightning bolt-shaped scar quite nicely. The scar was a constant reminder of how close Harry had come to meeting his demise on countless occasions. The most recent had been the most terrifying, because of what had almost happened to...  
  
Harry was pulled from his thoughts, however, when a snowy white owl flew in the open window and landed gracefully on his bed. Harry smiled and walked toward his owl. "Hi Hedwig," Harry said, carefully rubbing her feathers. "Successful hunt?" Hedwig nipped Harry's finger affectionately before picking up what appeared to be a dead mouse and flying to her cage with it. Harry opened his door very quietly so as not to disturb the still-sleeping Dursleys. Harry didn't think this precaution was necessary, considering you wouldn't be able to hear a volcano erupting over the combination of Uncle Vernon's and Dudley's snoring. Aunt Petunia was another matter entirely. She had the hearing of a hawk. Even if she appeared to be concentrating on something else, she was always tuned in to the sounds around her. Harry remembered times when he was younger trying to sneak out of or back into the house, being careful not to make the slightest sound. Aunt Petunia would show up either right behind him (scaring him half to death when she cleared her throat) or directly in his path, starting down her pointed nose at him, her lip curled back exposing her horsey teeth in a sneer that reminded Harry of Professor Snape, his potion's master at Hogwarts.  
  
Harry frowned at the thought of Snape. He, unfortunately, didn't ditch that class after his 5th year. Amazingly, he had received an "Outstanding" on the potions portion of the O.W.L.s So, deciding it would be beneficial to his future aspirations to become an Auror, he stuck with the class. Even now, the thought of the look on Snape's face when Harry had walked into his classroom at the beginning of his 6th year was absolutely priceless. Hermione was also still taking the class with Harry, but Ron had told them both that there was no way he was going within a hundred feet of Snape ever again if he had a choice. Malfoy, unfortunately, had also been in the class.  
  
However, Harry had recently gotten wind of a rumor from Ron that Malfoy had moved away. You see, Malfoy's mother had been killed by Lord Voldemort as punishment for something Lucius had done. Lucius had then been arrested (yet again) and sent to Azkaban under a very heavy sentence. Many Death Eaters had either been arrested or killed during Harry's most recent (and final) encounter with Voldemort. Obliviously, Harry had prevailed and finally got rid of the Dark Lord once and for all. But even doing that had come with a price...  
  
Harry walked into the kitchen. The rising sun had given it a golden-glow look. He looked up at the clock on the wall. Mr. Weasley was due to pick Harry up in a couple of hours. The plan was for Harry to spend the rest of summer with the Weasleys before returning to Hogwarts for his final year. Harry turned and bounded up the stairs, eager to get to his packing. Harry went into his room, quietly closing the door behind him, and began tossing stuff into his trunk.  
  
2 hours later...  
  
Harry walked back into his room to grab Hedwig's cage, the last thing he needed before he would be fully ready to go. He took one last look around the room, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Positive that he hadn't, Harry walked out of the room that had been his for several years. He felt no sense of loss whatsoever when the thought hit him that he would never see the room again. Harry shut the door and made his way down the stairs back to the living room. There was still no sign of the Dursleys, but Harry hadn't really expected them to get up and see him off for the final time. Even this didn't damper Harry's spirits. He was still overjoyed with the thought that he would never have to see the Dursleys again. Harry had no idea what he was going to do once he got out of Hogwarts, but he decided to think about it another day. Mr. Weasley had just popped out of the fireplace; right on time, for once.  
  
"Hello, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, grinning broadly. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Yes," responded Harry, already gathering up his trunk. Mr. Weasley rushed to grab the other end of the trunk and, together, they heaved it into the fireplace.  
  
"I'll go on with your trunk," said Mr. Weasley, wiping his brow. "You come right behind me with your owl's cage, okay?"  
  
"Yes," replied Harry, taking a handful of Floo Powder from him.  
  
Mr. Weasley stepped into the fireplace, next to Harry's trunk, and shouted, "The Burrow!" The next moment he was in the midst of green flames, but he disappeared before Harry had time to even blink. Harry then stepped into the fireplace himself. He looked around at the Dursleys "unnaturally clean" (as Tonks had so gracefully put it the first time he ever met her) living room. He smiled to himself, shouted, "The Burrow!", and heard the familiar whooshing noise that accompanied traveling by Floo Powder.  
  
**************  
  
TBC... Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think by reviewing. I can take constructive criticism people, but please be nice with the flames! 


	2. The Burrow

Author's Note: In the second section of this chapter, I'm going to assume that Harry's and Ron's birthdays are not too far apart, since I have no idea when Ron's birthday is. It's been a while since I've read all of the books together. Has it ever been mentioned?  
  
Disclaimer: All of the HP characters belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling, but she's kind enough to let me borrow them every now and then for my own entertainment...like now, for instance.  
  
****************************  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Harry had barely stopped spinning when he was roughly grabbed by several pairs of hands. Cheers erupted all around him, followed by several "Hey Harry!" and many thumps on the back.  
  
"Alright, alright. Give the boy some air!" shouted a familiar voice. Harry looked around, grinning broadly. Mrs. Weasley was standing a little off to the side (Mr. Weasley was right next to her) with hands on her hips. She was trying to look stern, but failing, because of the smile she was giving Harry. Fred, George, and Ron released Harry as Mrs. Weasley gave him a big hug.  
  
"It's good to see you again, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, releasing Harry. The past year had been absolutely horrible for her. She'd felt on the verge of a panic attack every few minutes, worrying about one member of her family or another, including Harry and Hermione. Poor Hermione...Mrs. Weasley gave an involuntary shudder as the thought of what had almost happened to Harry and Ron's best friend hit her for the hundredth time that month.  
  
Molly hadn't been there personally (the Order had needed her elsewhere) , but Mr. Weasley had filled her in on what had happened when she learned that Hermione was in St. Mungo's. A meeting of the Order had been called at the Ministry. She had tried to stop the children from going, but to no avail. There had been fighting everywhere...bloodshed as far as the eye could see. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had stayed mostly out of it. Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Harry, and several others had been fighting their way through, trying to get to him. Harry had gotten to him first by avenging Sirius death and getting rid of Bellatrix (who had been "guarding" Voldemort). Many spells had then been thrown back and forth between them; the Death Eaters had held off Albus and the others, leaving Voldemort and Harry to deal only with each other. There had been a blood-curdling scream that had caught them both off guard for a moment. Harry had been the first to regain his composure; he had then put the Cruciatus Curse on Voldemort, lifting it only to finally end it all. Then all hell broke loose.  
  
The remaining Death Eaters had fought tooth and nail to escape, killing several members of the Order. At least ten witches and wizards had gathered together and cast a very strong spell, preventing the Death Eaters' escapes. They had then learned what (or should I say, who) had screamed so terribly. Hermione Granger had been dueling with one of the Death Eaters. She had tried to block the spell he or she had sent in her direction, but it hit her anyway, nearly killing her. She was taken to St. Mungo's as soon as possible. Thank God they had been able to save her! Besides Hermione's parents, Harry had been the most worried about her. He had to be practically dragged from her bedside at night to get some rest himself. He hadn't slept at all the first 48 hours.  
  
Mrs. Weasley shook her head, trying to clear it of such thoughts. 'It will not do to dwell on the past,' she thought. The kids (meaning Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny, of course) had finally laid off of Harry a little bit. Fred and George had grabbed Harry's trunk and were heading up the stairs with it, followed by Ron, Harry, and lastly Ginny. Mr. Weasley grinned and sat down to his breakfast while Mrs. Weasley busied herself around the kitchen preparing a plate for Harry.  
  
Roughly 3 weeks before school starts...  
  
Harry and Ron (having passed their Apparation tests not too long ago) decided to take the Fred-and-George route and began to Apparate and Disapparate just about everywhere, much to the chagrin of Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Fred and George found this quite amusing and began to join the boys in regularly scaring Ginny. They also began using magic around the house since they were now old enough to do so.  
  
"Boys, lunch is ready!" hollered Mrs. Weasley. "But please use the stairs!" These words were barely out of her mouth when CRACK! Harry and Ron appeared at the foot of the stairs with (CRACK) Fred and George just behind them.  
  
"Oh for Goodness sake..." she began, but was cut off when Hedwig flew in the open window with what appeared to be their notices about the start of term in her beak. 'That's odd,' thought Harry. 'I sent her with a letter to Hermione.' Hedwig did have Hermione's response, however. It was written on a tiny piece of parchment and didn't look to be more than a couple of sentences long. Harry had written Hermione quite a lengthy letter and was surprised that he felt a little aggravated with her for not writing more than that in response. Harry stuffed the letter in his pocket and sat down at the table to a lunch of a variety of sandwiches and stews. The conversation was mainly about what everyone thought the new DADA teacher was going to be like (the one in their sixth year had been involved in the fight at the Ministry and had been badly injured, though it had not been life threatening, he had not wanted to return for the coming year). Even though Fred and George no longer attended Hogwarts and were currently working on acquiring a place of their own close to their joke shop , they still loved talking about what perils lay ahead for the new teacher. Harry had been only half listening. His mind was on the letter burning a hole in his pocket...  
  
******************** Sorry for the cliff hanger, but I want reviews people! Come on, tell me what you think! Love it? Hate it? Any ideas for other pairings? Who should Ginny be with? By the way, I need a beta reader. Any takers? E-mail me at sheagreeneyes@aol.com and let me know!  
  
Have a good 4th of July everyone! 


	3. Mione's Letter and Hogwarts Express

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews chattypandagurl and Facade. And a special thanks to my beta reader, Lissie89!  
  
Disclaimer: All of the HP characters belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling, but she's kind enough to let me borrow them every now and then for my own entertainment...like now, for instance.  
  
************************ Chapter 3  
  
Harry ate his lunch very quickly; he was eager to read Mione's response, however short it was. He stuffed the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth, mumbled an "Excuse me," and took off up the stairs to Ron's room. It was still a painfully bright orange, but this time Harry paid it no mind. He was too busy opening the letter. It read:  
  
Harry,  
I won't be able to make it to Diagon Alley week after next. I've already got the things I'll be needing, so Mum and Dad don't see any point in me going back. My summer's going as well as can be expected. Tell everyone I said hello, and hopefully I'll see you and Ron soon. I really miss you guys!  
  
Hermione  
  
Harry reread the "letter" (it didn't seem long enough to him to be called such) over twice before folding it neatly and putting it in his trunk. He closed the lid slowly before sitting on it and putting his head in his hands. 'That certainly didn't sound like Mione,' thought Harry. As a matter of fact, she had been acting weird all summer. The only other time he had heard from her had been on his birthday. He'd gotten her present (which had been a book, of course) and the note that had come with it. The note had contained only three words, "Happy Birthday Harry!" He'd just assumed that he would hear more from her later, but he hadn't. 'Well,' he thought, 'at least it was sentences this time.'  
  
Hermione's latest letter came to mind. '"My summer's going as well as can be expected"? What did that mean? It sounds like she's not having such a good time.' Harry rubbed his face, then ran his fingers through his hair in an exasperated gesture. Of course she's not having a good time! She was nearly killed by a Death Eater just a couple of months ago! 'I believe that would put a damper on anyone's mood,' he thought, hands still in his hair. He sat like this for another minute before slowly raising his head and staring at the wall on the other side of the room. But he didn't see the wall. Instead, he saw Hermione. He thought of the very first time he had ever laid eyes on her...The bushy-haired, eleven-year-old brainiac came easily to mind. Harry grinned. That imagine wasn't too different than the Hermione he knew today. As Harry sat there, head in his hands, memories of things the three of them had done together came flooding back. Brewing the Polyjuice potion in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom...attending the Deathday party...getting into the Shrieking Shack...Ron and Hermione helping him for the then approaching tasks...practicing during D.A. meetings...  
  
Some of the things that came back to Harry during those moments were things he hadn't thought about in quite some time. The past year had been extremely...stressful, so it had not left much time for reminiscing. But saying it had been stressful was putting it nicely. It had been horrible! And to top it off, Hermione had been hurt. The smile vanished from Harry's lips. His memories turned from being happy to pure agony in the blink of an eye. He was now seeing Hermione lying on the floor of the Ministry, blood pouring from her mouth.  
  
Then the next thing he knew, he was at St. Mungo's watching as Hermione was placed on a bed. They had tried to usher Harry from the room, but he had refused to move. He had then spent the next two days holding Mione's hand, begging her to wake up and look at him once again with her big brown eyes. Only after the Healers had convinced Harry beyond a shadow of a doubt that Hermione would regain consciousness within a couple of days and that she would make a full recovery did he allow himself to sleep. The Healers had been right. Hermione was awake the very next morning, looking at him with those beautiful eyes. She had been pale and very tired-looking, but she had been smiling. Harry could not remember feeling more relieved in his entire life.  
  
CRACK! Ron appeared from thin air directly in front of Harry. This startled him so much that he fell backward off the trunk.  
  
"Sorry, Harry!" Ron said, leaning over and offering to help Harry up. He grabbed Ron's wrist and stood, fixing his glasses which had gone askew from his fall. "I just came up to see if you wanted to play Quidditch." Harry gave Ron a look. "Well...I know we don't have enough people to play a real game, but we were planning on just throwing the quaffle around and stuff." Ron seemed to have read Harry's mind, because this was exactly what he had been thinking. Harry was on the verge of saying no; he wanted to be alone and think. But deciding he'd done enough thinking for the past hour, he nodded his agreement. They grabbed their brooms and headed outside.  
  
On the Hogwarts Express...  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked Harry for at least the hundredth time that week.  
  
"Ron, I don't know where she is, I told you already!"  
  
"But we're on the train, ready to go, and no Mione. Harry, have you noticed how weird she's been acting this summer?"  
  
Harry stiffened slightly. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that I haven't heard more than 10 words from her since I last saw her at St. Mungo's. Do you remember that we talked about her coming to stay with us for a little while before going back to school? Well, I reminded her of this in a letter, but she never wrote back. Then we don't see her at Diagon Alley and now she's no where to be found on the train!"  
  
"Ron," Harry started, not feeling like dealing with his break down at the moment, "I'm sure Hermione has a reason for not being in Diagon Alley at the same time we were, and I don't believe she would miss the train to Hogwarts. We just have to find her." That's exactly what Harry and Ron tried to do. They went through the entire train, from compartment to compartment, looking for Hermione. She was nowhere to be found, however. Harry and Ron wound up sharing a compartment with Ginny and Neville. Harry tried to remain calm throughout the trip, but he was finding it rather difficult. Thoughts like 'Where the heck is Hermione?' kept drifting across his mind.  
  
When the lunch cart arrived, Harry was grateful for the distraction the food offered. He had just taken a swig of pumpkin juice when he saw a bushy head go bouncing past the compartment's window. Harry spit the pumpkin juice out in his haste to reach the compartment door. It narrowly missed Neville. Harry threw the door open and looked wildly around, trying to spot the bushy head again. There was no one around, though. The compartment doors on either side of their's was closed, the occupants talking loudly. 'Strange,' thought Harry as he slid the door closed. 'It had looked like Hermione...' *************************  
  
Let me know what you think by leaving a review! See how that works? You review, I type, Lissie beta-reads for me (thanx again Lissie!), and then I load it. By the way, Lissie is writing a couple of very good stories: Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I suggest you check them out! 


	4. Welcoming Feast

Author's Note: Thanks to Alex, bubbles-123, and Lissie89 for the reviews! Alex: Don't worry, no Draco/Hermione thing going on. I explain what's up with Hermione very soon. In this chapter, actually. By the way, Lissie you're going to spoil me with all your wonderful praise! :)  
  
Disclaimer: All of the HP characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, but she's kind enough to let me borrow them every now and then for my own entertainment...like now, for instance.  
  
************************ Chapter 4  
  
The carriage in which the four of them were riding came to a halt in front of the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors of the castle. Ginny got out first, followed by Ron, Harry, and lastly Neville. Ginny and Neville were lazily chatting about what the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher might be like, while Ron and Harry remained silent. Harry couldn't stop thinking about the bushy head he had seen skipping past the window. Harry had told Ron what he thought he had seen, and, judging by the scowl on Ron's face, they were thinking about the exact same thing.  
  
They were just about to start up the steps when Harry realized that Ginny was no longer with them. He turned around and spotted her standing quite still, staring at the carriages as they rolled up to the entrance to let their passengers out. Harry couldn't figure out what Ginny was staring at so fixedly. He turned to Ron to ask him what was up, but Ron was also staring at the carriages; his eyes were wide with fascination and his mouth had formed an "O". Harry had just looked back at the carriages when it hit him. This was the first time Ron and Ginny could see the thestrals (the thestrals were the horse-like winged creatures that pulled the school stagecoaches). The only people who could see them were the ones who had seen death. Ron and Ginny knew about them, of course. They had ridden on them to the Ministry of Magic on that horrible day Sirius had been killed. Harry knew that they could see them now because they had witnessed death in that final battle against Voldemort. Harry elbowed Ron to get his attention as Neville tapped Ginny on the shoulder.  
  
"Come on you two," Harry said to Ginny and Ron. "I'm starving!" Ginny turned reluctantly away as they preceded up the stairs into the entrance hall. Harry looked up, keeping an eye out for whatever mischief Peeves might be up to. Peeves, however, was not lurking in a corner waiting to throw a dungbomb on some unsuspecting student nor was he following the professors around, blowing loud raspberries. 'Odd,' thought Harry. Peeves never missed an opportunity to torment the upcoming first years. Amidst to sound of shuffling feet, Harry heard something...out of place. Harry's hearing sharpened out of habit. He'd gone through a lot of training the past year, preparing himself. He knew he had formed many habits that would be hard to break; if he ever broke them at all, that is. It was muffled shouting, he realized. Harry concentrated for another minute before smiling. The shouting belonged to Filch, the caretaker. He was cursing at Peeves for something he had either already done or had been planning to do, but got caught in the process. Harry's grin broadened. It felt good to be home again.  
  
As everyone entered the Great Hall, the large group of students split up as they went to sit at their separate house tables. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Neville sat with Seamus and Dean at the Gryffindor house table. Ginny sat down next to Dean. He leaned over and gently kissed her cheek, taking her hand and entwining his fingers with hers. They had been dating steadily for a little over a year. Ron had been very put out by this at first, but now never gave it a second thought. He knew Dean would be good to his sister, but Dean knew exactly what would happen to him if he ever hurt Ginny. Ron paid them no mind whatsoever; he continued to stare fixedly at the table, a look of deep concentration on his face. Harry, however, looked around the Great Hall.  
  
He knew it by heart now, but still loved the sight of the hundred or so candles floating over the tables. The ceiling tonight was pitch black with twinkling stars sprinkled everywhere, winking down upon the students. Harry's eyes wandered for a moment before landing on the head table. The first professor Harry saw was Snape. They stared at each other for a full minute, neither one moving. Harry was just about to look away when something strange happened. Snape nodded his head in Harry's direction, then broke eye contact. Harry wasn't exactly floored, but still a little shocked. Their relationship had in fact changed over the past year from feelings of the deepest loathing to a mutual respect from both sides, but still. For Snape to acknowledge Harry like that was completely unexpected. Harry shook himself mentally and continued looking down the table. He saw tiny Professor Flitwick chatting with Professor Sprout and Dumbledore was talking with a woman Harry had never seen before. As Harry reached the latter pair, Dumbledore caught his eye and winked before returning to his conversation. Harry took a closer look at the newcomer. She had an uncanny resemblance to Professor McGonagall, but her face was softer and she looked younger. 'Must be the new DADA teacher,' thought Harry. He was about to resume his studying of the teachers, but the doors snapped open at that time. In strode McGonagall with the group of terrified first years who were about to be sorted. There was a hush in the Great Hall. Just in front of the head table sat the old sorting hat atop it's three-legged stool. All the first years gathered in front of it and everyone else's attention was now devoted to the hat. Everyone's except Harry's, that is. Just as the hat's brim opened wide, preparing to sing its song, Harry saw her. Hermione was sitting at the very end of the staff table, next to another teacher Harry didn't recognize. His stomach gave a lurch as his jaw fell open onto his chest. Harry had never been happier in his life to see Hermione. He'd missed her terribly. Not being able to see her and not hearing much from her had been almost more than he could bear. Part of her hair was thrown absentmindedly over one shoulder and she wore a determined look. Harry closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes. Even though Hermione's face was passive, her eyes were haunted.  
  
Clapping erupted all around him. Harry jumped a little in his seat, startled. The hat had finished its song; Harry had not heard a word of it. As the first student was called forward ("Abott, Amanda!") Harry elbowed Ron again and pointed up at Hermione. Ron's mouth fell (if possible) even more so than Harry's had. After Amanda was sorted into Hufflepuff, Ron closed his mouth and turned, wide-eyed, to look at Harry. The same question that was plaguing Harry was clearly evident in Ron's eyes. All Harry could do was shrug. Neither had any idea why Hermione was sitting with the teachers.  
  
After the first years had all been sorted (four of them had been placed in Gryffindor) Dumbledore gave his welcome speech, which included welcoming the first years, reminding everyone that the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds, and introducing Professor Lanie Travis, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. A murmur arose as many heads turned in the direction of the new professor. She gave a slight nod of her head. Dumbledore paused for a moment as everyone grew quiet again. The last thing he said was, "Tuck in!" as the assortment of food appeared before their eyes. Harry and Ron didn't eat very much during dinner; they were both trying to catch Hermione's eye. Hermione, however, appeared not to have noticed their efforts. She stared down at her plate the entire time, wearing a distracted look. She hadn't eaten very much, either. From what Harry could see, she had just pushed the food around on her plate. He had made up his mind, though. He was going to talk to Hermione before the night was over.  
  
~  
  
'I wonder what the boys are thinking?' Hermione thought, wiping her mouth on her napkin. She'd spotted Harry and Ron the moment they had walked into the Great Hall. She had purposely avoided catching their eye, knowing full well that very soon she would have to explain her actions. She just didn't feel like dealing with it right now. She hated not being able to just go to them and talk about what they had done over the summer and whatnot. She had really hated not being able to see them after St. Mungo's. Her parents had insisted, however, that she remain home the entire time. They had been absolutely terrified for Hermione (understandably so) after what had happened. They had kept an eagle-eye watch on her the entire summer.  
  
Well, Hermione was sick of it! Ever since she had gotten home they had made sure that she didn't get so much as a hangnail. They had cut her off from corresponding with her friends over the summer, she has to eat every meal at the head table, she has to sleep in her own room instead of the girl's dorm, and there would be no more Hogsmead visits. She had also ridden in a magically concealed compartment on the Hogwarts Express. The only time she had wandered out was when she had been in need of a bathroom. She had argued with her parents endlessly about all of it, but they wouldn't be swayed. All they wanted to do was make sure she was safe. 'And make me miserable in the process,' she thought as she smashed the peas on her plate. Even though she was incredibly annoyed at them, she loved her parents and had promised them that she would not go behind their back and sneak off somewhere. Both Dumbledore and McGonagall had promised them that they would keep an eye on Hermione.  
  
Absolutely disgusted with the whole thing, she threw her napkin onto her plate and stalked out of the Great Hall, too distracted to realize that Harry was following her. Hermione had just put her foot on the second step when a hand grabbed her wrist. Hermione's head whipped around in surprise. She knew who it was going to be, however, before her eyes even landed on him. Harry stood just below Hermione with one foot on the first step. His bangs were falling into his eyes a little and he had a firm grip on Hermione's wrist. There was no smile whatsoever on his face. Hermione was so happy to see him that she paid no attention to his annoyed look. She threw her arms around his neck to hug him. After a moment, he put his arms around her waist.  
  
"Oh Harry, it's so good to see you!" she said as they released each other at the same time and she took a step back. She grinned at him, waiting for him to say something. Harry just looked at her for a moment before grinning slightly himself.  
  
"It's good to see you, too, Hermione, but why haven't I heard from you all summer?" "Harry, didn't you get your birthday present?"  
  
"Yes, I got it," he said, sounding a little annoyed, "but why haven't I heard more from you than just a couple of sentences?" Hermione's face fell. She wasn't sure how she would make Harry understand why her parents had done what they had done. 'Well, I have to try,' she thought. Hermione squared her shoulders and told Harry everything that had happened over the summer and all about the...changes for the coming year. By the end of her explanation, Harry's eyes were wide as he stared soundlessly at her.  
  
"But Hermione..." he began.  
  
Hermione cut him off, "I know it's not fair, Harry, but I don't have a choice."  
  
"Where is your room?"  
  
Hermione's eyebrows came together. "Actually, right across form the Room of Requirement. Why?"  
  
Harry poised another question of his own instead, "What about classes?"  
  
"Don't worry, nothing about classes will change."  
  
"Hermione, this is...ridiculous!" Harry raised his voice slightly, and the smile was gone from his face. Hermione furrowed her brow.  
  
Her voice sounded slightly defensive when she said, "They're just looking out for me, Harry. I know this is a little extreme, but they are my parents, after all." And on that note, Hermione turned on her heel and continued up the stairs, heading to her new room. She left a rather shocked and upset Harry in her wake. 


	5. Potions and Fights

Author's Note: Thanks to Lissie89, ears91, and jessixa for the wonderful reviews! Big hug to my beta reader, Lissie! Isn't she the best?  
  
ears91: I agree. Her parents are being too overprotective, but they have their reasons. Plus, if they weren't acting like this I wouldn't have a story! Don't worry, though. Things always work out in the end...  
  
jessixa: Wow. Thank you so much for that!  
  
~IMPORTANT!~ The quotation marks have been disappearing on the stories and I now know how to fix it (thanks to a review left by Suki to my beta, who was kind enough to let me in on the secret). To fix the page, right click on the chapter and change the encoding to 'unicode'. This should fix it, but if it doesn't, let me know!  
  
Disclaimer: All of the HP characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, but she's kind enough to let me borrow them every now and then for my own entertainment...Like now, for instance.  
  
Now that all that is said and done, on to the story!  
  
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Chapter 5  
  
The next couple of months went by pretty uneventfully for Hermione. Except for the fact that Harry was not speaking to her. She had some idea as to what his sour mood was all about, though, thanks to Ron (who was still speaking to her, by the way). Ron had not been very happy when Harry had told him what Hermione had said the night of the welcoming feast. 'But at least he's still talking to me,' she thought. Ron told Hermione that Harry was just mad about her not being able to spend a lot of time with them, besides during classes. 'He's acting like a spoiled child!' She furiously threw the roots she had been chopping moments before into her cauldron during one potion's lesson. Even though they were not speaking to each other, Harry nevertheless was sitting close to her. Every time Hermione caught sight of him, she had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out at him for ignoring her.  
  
'He is acting like it's my fault!' she thought, watching him as he added his own roots to his potion, which had turned a forest green color. Hermione whirled around to face her own green potion and began to stir it. After exactly one minute of stirring it clockwise, she began to stir it counter-clockwise. The potion was supposed to be a much less powerful version of Veritaserum. After two minutes, Hermione stopped stirring and watched as it turned a very light shade of purple. She smiled to herself and looked around the classroom to see how the others had done. There were only eight other students (besides Harry and herself) taking the advanced potions class. They no longer had potions with just Slytherin since there were so few of them actually taking the class. In fact, there were two Slytherins, two Gryffindors, three Hufflepuffs, and three Ravenclaws. Malfoy had been in the class the previous year, but the rumor about him having moved was true. Plus, Snape was no longer breathing down their necks every minute, which turned out to work wonders for everyone (especially Harry). Harry was actually able to concentrate on what he was doing, which usually resulted in a potion that gave Hermione's a run for its money. It looked as if everyone else was doing just as well.  
  
Speaking of Snape, he had just stood up and was walking around the classroom, checking each and every potion. Even though he was no longer acting quite so Snape-ish, you could still count on a snide remark and curl of the lip whenever he felt like it. Today, however, he made no comment as he glided around the room, hands clasped behind his back. When only five minutes remained, Snape told everyone to put a sample of his or her potion in the vial that had been provided.  
  
"Put the vials on my desk before returning to your work area to clean up," he said, tapping the edge of his desk for emphasis. Hermione corked her vial and looked at it lovingly before walking to Snape's desk to set it down. The vial had just touched the desk when Hermione felt someone walk up to stand behind her. She was about to turn around when an arm slithered into sight, grazing her side. She knew that arm...The hand had just set the vial it was holding on Snape's desk when Hermione recovered and whipped around quickly. Harry was (as she had suspected) the one standing behind her. His emerald eyes began to bore into her own when she made eye contact. Harry was standing very close to Hermione, invading her space a little. Hermione's brain numbly registered a feeling of shock when she realized how close he was standing. Hermione dropped her gaze as she tried to take a step back, but her hip came into contact with the sharp edge of Snape's desk. Her escape was blocked.  
  
Hermione looked up at Harry's face again, but just barely. She made sure her lashes veiled her eyes. She wanted to be able to see Harry without looking him directly in the eye. Hermione hoped that Harry didn't notice she was looking at him. She wasn't sure why she didn't want Harry to notice, though; all she knew was that the room around her seemed to have disappeared and the only sound she was aware of was her own breathing. Harry (who was still looking at her intently) did notice Hermione watching him from under her lashes, but instead of turning around and walking back to his seat to gather his stuff, he continued to watch her. Hermione could feel her cheeks flush with color under his stare, but she couldn't seem to tear her gaze away from his face. A shadow of a smile appeared on Harry's lips as he watched her cheeks bloom pink.  
  
As abruptly as the moment began, it was over. Hermione watched as Harry walked back to his seat, picked up his book and bag in one motion, and walked out the door. He never looked back. Hermione brought a hand up to her face and laid it on her cheek, still feeling slightly shocked at what just happened. She idly noted that her cheek was very hot. Hermione pushed herself off the edge of Snape's desk and walked back to her own seat to grab her stuff before heading to lunch. As Hermione walked out the door, she absentmindedly rubbed her side. It was stinging where the sharp edge had been pressed into it.  
  
~  
  
Harry threw his bag underneath the Gryffindor house table before sitting down next to Ron, who was shoveling food into his mouth.  
  
"Hey Harry," Ron said after swallowing the mouth full of food. "What's wrong? You look like you just ate poison or something."  
  
"Nothing Ron. I'm fine." Even though Harry wasn't particularly hungry, he pulled a plate of sandwiches toward him and grabbed the one on top. He took a big bite before chasing it down with a swig of pumpkin juice. He hoped Ron would get the idea and not bother him. He really didn't feel like talking just now. Ron looked at him with narrowed eyes before shrugging and returning to his own meal. The scene in the dungeons kept playing in his mind. He had no idea what had possessed him to do that. He remembered seeing Hermione cork her vial and head toward Snape's desk with it. He corked his own vial after watching her for a moment and also walked to the desk. Then on impulse he stood behind her, waiting to see if she noticed him or not. He didn't think she had; that is, until he slid his arm past her on the premise of setting his own vial down, and she whipped around to stare at him with eyes as wide as dinner plates. 'She has such pretty eyes...' Harry thought before he could catch himself. Where did that come from? Harry stopped chewing his food and instead stared at his sandwich. He saw Ron out of the corner of his eye looking at him again. Ron was about to say something, but was cut off when Hermione showed up and plopped down right in front of Ron.  
  
"Hey Hermione," Ron said, shooting Harry another quizzical look before returning to his food. Hermione grunted an acknowledgment and buried her nose in the Advanced Transfiguration book. After a moment, she reached around the book and snatched a sandwich from the plate in front of Harry, making sure her face remained hidden. Harry watched the top of her forehead for a moment before finishing off his sandwich and drinking another generous amount of pumpkin juice.  
  
"So," Ron began, turning slightly in Harry's direction, "what did you do in potions?" Harry's gaze flew to what he could see of Hermione before answering.  
  
"Oh, nothing special; just brewed potions and stuff. You know, it's been getting really hot in the dungeons lately," Harry said, putting extra emphases on the word "hot." He was still gazing intently at Hermione's forehead. After a moment, it began to turn red. Harry smiled to himself. He wondered how far he could push Hermione until she finally snapped.  
  
"Oh," said Ron. "What kind of potion was it?"  
  
"It was..." Harry began, but was cut off mid sentence by 'Mione.  
  
"It was a weak truth potion," Hermione's voice sounded a little high pitched. Harry smiled again. Apparently, it wasn't going to take much to get under her skin today. Ron also noticed the irritated way she sounded.  
  
"Right," he said, looking from Harry to Hermione, confusion in his eyes. "Right..."  
  
"So, Ron. What did you do during..." but Harry was interrupted yet again by Hermione. She snapped her book shut and hit it against the table with a loud WHAM! that made several people around them jump in surprise. Harry succeeded in causing Hermione's composure to snap.  
  
"How could you?" she hissed viciously at Harry. He calmly set the pumpkin juice back on the table before meeting Hermione's gaze. "How could I what, Hermione?" Hermione's eyes widened.  
  
"You know perfectly well what!" Her voice was rising steadily. This drew several pairs of eyes. Harry, however, paid them no mind. He was returning Hermione's gaze unflinchingly. Instead of answering her question, he raised an eyebrow. Hermione stared at him, incredulous.  
  
"Oh come on, Harry! First you act like a spoiled little-" Harry didn't hear the rest of Hermione's words. The only thing he did hear was the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears.  
  
"What?!" Harry yelled, coming up out of his seat a little. Hermione, however, appeared to not have heard him.  
  
"And then sneaking up on me in the dungeons!" Hermione continued speaking, waving her hand the air. "Furthermore, it's not right for you to stop speaking to me-"  
  
"I did not 'sneak up' behind you!"  
  
"-because of a decision my parents made!"  
  
"I DID NOT SNEAK UP BEHIND YOU!" Harry was standing at his full height now, his breath coming heavily. Hermione stopped speaking. She was also breathing in short gasps. Then, they both became aware of their surroundings once more. The entire Great Hall had gone quiet. Everyone was staring at the two of them, open-mouthed. Hermione gestured at the doors of the Great Hall before grabbing her stuff and walking toward them. Harry followed suit, but chose to leave his stuff behind.  
  
"Harry, you're acting like a spoiled brat!" Hermione yelled, whirling around to face him once the doors to the Great Hall were closed behind them. Harry's eyes grew wide at this.  
  
He said, "Well, forgive me for worrying about you, Hermione."  
  
"Ignoring me sure doesn't sound like worrying," Hermione responded, still sputtering with rage. Harry didn't hear her, however. Instead, he began to pace the Entrance Hall.  
  
"I'm so sorry if I offended you by wondering about how you were doing after St. Mungo's..." Hermione watched him walk back and forth, but she said nothing. She was still shaking with anger, yes, yet she decided it would be a good idea to remain quiet and let Harry talk.  
  
In a voice dripping with sarcasm, Harry continued, "I'm sorry for being upset with you for not writing to me over the summer, and I'm sorry I got mad and ignored you over an issue that was your parents decision," Harry stopped walking in a circle and walked straight toward Hermione when he said (the sarcasm completely gone from his voice), "but I am NOT sorry for being mad at your parents for taking away pretty much all the freedom you have! Hermione, do you not see how ridiculously extreme they are being?"  
  
Harry stopped just in front of Hermione. He was breathing heavily and anger flashed in his emerald orbs. Hermione couldn't say anything. She was too stunned by Harry's words. It wasn't any of his business what rules her parents had regarding her anyway; so why did he care so much? Why did it make him so angry? This thought had just crossed Hermione's mind when Harry made some kind of exasperated noise and turned away. He ran his hand through his hair as he opened the doors to the Great Hall and went inside, not looking back at her. Hermione remained where she was for another moment or two, trying to calm down and get her breathing under control again. Once she felt a little calmer, she turned on her heel and walked up the grand staircase in the direction of her next class.  
  
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I'm sorry this chapter took me so long to write. To be honest, I had a hard time deciding how I was going to write it in the first place. Things should go smoother for Harry and Hermione here-on-out...Please review and let me know what you think!  
  
BTW, go check out Lissie89's stories. If you like mine you'll love the ones she's writing! 


	6. Together Again & Hogsmeade

A/N: Thanks to Lissie89 and ears91 for the wonderful reviews!  
  
Big hug to my beta, Lissie! Isn't she the best?  
  
Disclaimer: All of the HP characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, but she's kind enough to let me borrow them every now and then for my own entertainment...Like now, for instance.  
  
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Chapter 6  
  
Hermione and Harry continued not speaking to each other for another two weeks. Hermione was miserable. She missed being able to go to Harry and talk about any-and-everything. She missed it so much that it hurt sometimes. Then she would think about the things he'd said, and the hurt would deepen for an entirely different reason. 'His behavior was absolutely uncalled for ' she thought furiously, slamming down the book she had been reading. She pulled her homework toward her and began writing on it, but her thoughts were still on Harry. Once she'd finished, she leaned back warily in the chair she was occupying in the common room (even though her rooms were now elsewhere, she did spend some time in the common room after classes). Harry and Ron were there as well, but on the other side of the room. Hermione could tell that Ron hated being in the middle of their fight. Even though they weren't making him choose or anything, he still hated it. Over the past hour, he had gone between Hermione and Harry several times, trying to make idle conversation. When it became obvious that neither of them were going to say more than a few words, Ron gave them both a disgusted look before disappearing behind a Charms book.  
  
Unbeknownst to Hermione, Harry was feeling equally miserable. Not only because they weren't speaking to each other, but because he knew that he'd overreacted. He knew it wasn't Hermione's fault. He felt like a complete jerk for taking it out on her. Harry knew exactly what he had to do to make it up to 'Mione. So why was he hesitating? Taking a deep breath, Harry set his homework aside and stood. Without a thought in his head, Harry's legs walked him over to where Hermione was sitting and sat him down in the chair closest to her. Hermione was aware of his presence immediately. She noticeably stiffened, but didn't look at him. Harry didn't look at her, either; he just sat there, staring at the floor, not knowing how to begin.  
  
Then he made up his mind and began to speak, "Hermione, I want to...apologize for the things I said when we fought. I completely over- reacted. I also want to apologize for ignoring you. Hermione, I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry." He chanced a glance at her. She was no longer sitting as rigid as a board, but her face gave nothing away. Harry was about to stand up and return to his original seat when Hermione held out her hand. Harry looked at it for a second before reaching over and taking it, squeezing gently. Hermione finally looked at him. Her eyes were misty, but she was smiling.  
  
"Okay," she said, "I want to also say that I'm sorry, Harry. I should've tried harder to get them to let me-" but Harry cut her off by putting a finger to her lips.  
  
"None of it was your fault, Hermione." Harry stood, tugging softly on Hermione's arm to get her to stand as well. Once she did, Harry put his arms around her and pulled her in close for the hug he'd needed for quite some time. Hermione didn't resist in the slightest. In fact, she laid her head on his shoulder, facing inward toward his neck. Harry put his chin on top of 'Mione's head, continuing to hold her. He breathed deeply. She smelled like lavender...  
  
"So I guess that this means you two have made up finally?" Ron asked, coming to stand next to them. 'Leave it to Ron to interrupt a moment like this...' Harry thought, releasing Hermione reluctantly. Hermione didn't seem to mind, though. She smiled at Ron.  
  
"Yeah, I guess it does." Ron looked from Hermione to Harry, an angry look on his face.  
  
"Ron?" Harry said, "Are you okay? Ron?" Ron stared at him for a moment before answering.  
  
"IT'S ABOUT BLOODY TIME!" he hollered, drawing the attention of everyone in the common room. Harry and Hermione began to laugh, softly at first, but it steadily got louder.  
  
"What's wrong with you two?" Ron was looking at them like they were mad. Harry and Hermione ignored him, though. All they could do was laugh.  
  
~  
  
As the winter months disappeared and warm weather set in, Harry and Hermione had never been closer. You couldn't find one without the other anymore, no matter what was going on. Harry would even surprise Hermione sometimes by showing up outside her rooms in the mornings with a flower or some other precious trinket. Hermione would squeal with delight whenever this happened, take the special gift, and put it away safely. All the flowers had been pressed in a book, and everything else went into a special compartment in her trunk. Then they would walk to breakfast together, sometimes Hermione would be holding onto Harry's arm by the time they arrived in the Great Hall.  
  
Ron began to feel a little bit like a third wheel. He didn't mind much, though. Harry and Hermione had never been happier, and Ron was not going to ruin it for his friends. In fact, he made sure Harry and Hermione were together at every possible chance. He made sure they paired up together during classes, that they sat together during meals, and that their chairs were close together in the common room. Harry noticed that Ron was playing a bit like a match-maker, but he didn't mind. That is, until Ron brought it up at the end of January. They were sitting in the common room, working on homework. Hermione had gone to her room early, so Ron decided it would be the perfect moment to bring up the subject of Hermione's and Harry's budding relationship.  
  
"You know, there's going to be a Hogsmeade visit on Valentine's Day," Ron said to Harry while staring intently at his Potions homework. Harry looked up at Ron, but said nothing. "Maybe you could ask Hermione..." Ron trailed off, finally looking at Harry.  
  
"Ron," Harry said, sounding a little annoyed, "you know as well as I do that Hermione's not allowed to go to Hogsmeade."  
  
"But if she were, would you ask her?" Harry was quiet for a moment, thinking. Would he? Actually...yes, he would. This didn't come as a big shock to him. He already knew his feelings for Hermione had...changed, or maybe grown would be a better word.  
  
"Yes," he whispered finally. Ron's eyes grew wide.  
  
"You would?" He hadn't expected that answer. He just thought Harry had been blissfully unaware of what was going on between him and Hermione for the last few months. Ron studied Harry's face for a moment before his eyes grew wider with another realization.  
  
"Harry, how long have you known that you...that you like Hermione?" They were still whispering.  
  
"For a while now, Ron, but that doesn't mean I know what to do about it."  
  
"What to do about it? " Ron shouted, incredulous.  
  
"Would you keep your voice down?" Harry asked, looking around the common room. Ron lowered his voice for Harry's sake.  
  
"You tell her, that's what you do about it." It was Harry's turn to widen his eyes.  
  
"I can't, Ron."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because...what if she doesn't feel the same way? I'd feel like an idiot."  
  
"Harry, I don't think that's something you have to worry about. Have you not seen the way Hermione lights up whenever you walk into a room?" Harry said nothing as he looked away from Ron and back at his homework.  
  
"Plus...Harry you have to promise that you won't tell Ginny I told you this." Harry looked back at Ron. He looked deadly serious. Harry nodded.  
  
"I overheard her and Hermione talking in the library the other day. Hermione does like you, Harry, and as more than just a friend." Harry was a little surprised, but not much. He had suspected that his feelings were returned, but he didn't want to get his hopes up to have them crushed. If what Ron was saying were true...  
  
"Okay, suppose she does like me. What am I going to do about it?"  
  
"That's why I brought up Hogsmeade." Harry rolled his eyes and mentally counted to ten before responding.  
  
"Ron, she can't go to Hogsmeade."  
  
"I know she's not allowed to go, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't if given the chance. She's been stuck in this castle the entire year, Harry. I'd want to get out for a while if I was in her place." Harry stared at Ron, unable to respond. Ron did have a point, but would Hermione actually do it? She had, after all, promised her parents. On top of that, Dumbledore and McGonagall were keeping an eye on her. Harry seriously doubted Hermione would agree to sneak out. Ron noticed Harry's hesitance.  
  
"The professors aren't always in Hogsmead, you know, and she could get there through the witch's hump."  
  
"Do you think she'll actually sneak out, Ron?" It was Ron's turn to hesitate.  
  
"I don't know, but neither will you if you don't at least try." Reluctantly, Harry nodded.  
  
"Okay, I'll ask her." He stood and left the common room, completely missing Ron's triumphant smile. Before he knew it, Harry was standing if front of the tapestry hiding Hermione's room. He pushed the tapestry to the side before pressing on the center stone. Harry dropped the tapestry and stepped back. It transformed into a door before his very eyes. Harry knocked on the door and heard a muffled "Just a second " from the other side. Hermione appeared in the doorway, positively beaming when she saw who it was. Harry completely forgot what he had come to see her for as the bottom dropped out of his stomach, and he felt himself grinning back at her.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, still beaming. Everything came back to Harry in a rush as he stomach clenched painfully. 'Oh boy...' he thought.  
  
"I came to talk to you. Can I come in?" Hermione moved out of the doorway as Harry stepped inside and took a seat in the only chair. Hermione sat down on her trunk at the end of her bed and faced Harry. She leaned forward slightly and clasped her hands together in front of her.  
  
"Okay, I'm listening," she said. Harry smiled nervously, unsure of where to begin. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, all of it on the tip of his tongue. The ability to speak, however, seemed to have left him as he looked deeply in those big brown eyes. Hermione's eyes narrowed suddenly.  
  
"Harry? Did you want to talk about something?" she asked, watching him closely. Harry nodded and leaned forward a little. He reached toward Hermione and grasped both her hands with his. She looked slightly caught off guard, but she didn't remove her hands. Harry tore his gaze away from her eyes and looked down at Hermione's hands. He began rubbing her fingers in lazy circles as he thought about how delicate her hands looked in his huge palms. Delicate...Not a word usually associated with Hermione Granger.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione said again, still not moving her hands. Harry stopped making the circles and looked up at her. He took a deep breath.  
  
"Valentine's Day is coming soon." Hermione nodded, but didn't say anything. Harry took another deep breath.  
  
"Hermione, I really like you, and I love spending time with you more than you can imagine. Would you spend Valentine's Day with me in Hogsmeade?" She was still for a moment before looking slightly crestfallen.  
  
"Harry, you know I can't go to Hogsmeade."  
  
"If there was a way to get you there, would you?" She hesitated.  
  
"My parents..."  
  
"I know your parents said you couldn't go this year, but even you admitted that they're not acting fair. Hermione, what in the world could happen? Voldemort is gone, Hermione. Gone..." Harry's voice didn't sound angry or accusatory. He was speaking very low, in a pleading sort of way. Hermione choked on her next words as she gazed into his hypothetic emerald eyes. Incapable of coherent speech, she nodded. Relief sprang instantly into Harry's face. He leaned down and brushed a kiss against the back of her hand before standing and pulling her into his arms. Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. Harry thought that they fit together perfectly...  
  
"Harry?" Hermione mumbled against the side of his neck.  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"How am I getting to Hogsmeade?" Harry smiled into Hermione's hair. He turned his face to the side to answer.  
  
"Remember the witch's hump?" Hermione nodded, smiling.  
  
"That's how," he said, releasing her. He slid his hands down her arms to hold her hands again. She stepped back and gazed up at him. Harry leaned down and kissed her cheek.  
  
"It's a date then," he whispered in her ear. Silent shivers made their way down Hermione's back at the feel of Harry's breath. Harry released her and made his way out of her rooms, smiling broadly.  
  
~  
  
Harry awoke to blazing sunlight on Valentine's Day. He smiled involuntarily as he sat up and threw his covers off. He had been smiling a lot lately...Harry pulled his shirt over his head as he thought about the approaching day. Just him and Hermione, alone. No one else to keep up with, and no one tagging along behind them. It's not that Harry didn't enjoy spending time with both Ron and Hermione. Ron is his best friend and nothing could change that, but he was really looking forward to being with just her. It had been a long time since it was just the two of them. Harry finished dressing and went down to breakfast.  
  
~  
  
"Well Hermione," Ron said loudly after breakfast, "we'll see you later, then."  
  
"Yeah. Bye 'Mione!" Harry said, throwing her a sly wink. Filch was watching everyone very closely as he marked names off the list in his hands. He had kept one eye on the trio since they'd walked into the Great Hall. The little show was for his benefit, plus anyone else who might be watching. Hermione winked back at Harry.  
  
"Bye boys!" she called, waving at them and heading up the staircase. Harry turned and walked out of the Great Hall and into the brilliant sunlight. He'd never felt happier as the warm sun hit his face. He and Ron chatted lightly until they reached Hogsmeade. When they reached Honeydukes, Ron clapped Harry on the back before heading in another direction. Harry went inside to wait for Hermione. Harry looked around the store quickly, wary of anyone who might snitch if they caught Hermione there. Satisfied, Harry began looking around at the different sweets. He saw the big barrel of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbert balls, the pink squares of coconut ice, honey-colored toffees, and Droobles Best Blowing Gum. He had just started looking at the sugar quills when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Harry smiled widely before turning to face her. Her cheeks were flushed from the long walk through the tunnel, but she was smiling back at him. "Hey," he said.  
  
"Hey yourself." She stood on tip-toe and kissed Harry's cheek.  
  
"What do you want to do first?" he asked her.  
  
"Everything," she said. After looking around some more in Honeydukes, 'everything' is exactly what they did. Harry and Hermione went into every store in Hogsmeade, talking about the various items there, school, and the approaching N.E.W.T.s exams. Harry had never felt more comfortable being alone with anyone before. Well, he felt fine being alone with Ron, but it was different being with Hermione. Even though his stomach would soar into his throat whenever their eyes locked, there was this strange surreal feeling he got when he was around her. He was afraid this wonderful day was a dream. To try and prove it wasn't, Harry held her hand pretty much the entire time. Their hands were another perfect fit...The last place they went before lunch was the Shrieking Shack.  
  
"I can't believe people were once afraid of this place," Hermione said, leaning against the rail.  
  
"Easy for you to say. We know what used to make the noises." Harry looked around. They were completely alone. Hermione shrugged, not noticing the absence of others.  
  
"Very true, Harry." Harry turned and faced Hermione. He put his hand on her arm to get her attention. Hermione turned to face him, looking a little nervous suddenly.  
  
"Thank you for coming to Hogsmeade with me today, Hermione. I can't think of anyone I would rather spend this day with." Hermione nodded an agreement. As their eyes locked, Harry suddenly felt a little hot under the blazing sun. Squashing the impulse to tug at his collar, Harry started to lean forward to kiss her when she looked down suddenly. Harry put a finger under her chin and raised her face to look at him. Hermione's eyes were wide and her lips parted slightly. Harry grinned a little.  
  
"You're so beautiful. Do you know that, Hermione?" He didn't give her the chance to answer. Harry tangled his fingers in her brown locks as he kissed her. Hermione remained stiff for a moment before responding to him. She wrapped one arm around his waist and used the other to rub his cheek lightly. Harry made a low growling noise in his throat before pulling Hermione closer to him, deepening the kiss. Harry took his hand out of Hermione's hair and put it at the small of her back, slightly above his other hand. He rubbed lightly up and down her spine. It was a good thing Harry was holding her because her knees decided to give out on her. Harry broke the kiss suddenly, his breathing slightly labored. Harry grinned at Hermione, who looked slightly dazed. She grinned back. Harry kissed her lightly this time as he began to let her go. Once apart, Harry took her hand and they walked back into town.  
  
~  
  
"How about a butterbeer?" Harry asked, holding the door to the Three Broomsticks open for 'Mione. She nodded and walked in ahead of him. They walked to a table toward the back. There was an outcropping of wall that hid them slightly from the rest of the place. 'Good,' thought Harry, 'Maybe no one will bother us...' After Hermione was seated, Harry walked to the bar to get the drinks. As soon as he sat down and handed Hermione her drink, Harry vaguely heard the door open and close. He wasn't paying it any attention, though. That is, until he saw Hermione's face. She sat frozen in her seat, staring towards the door. Harry followed her gaze. As soon as he saw them, he felt like a bucket of ice water had just been poured over his head. In had walked Dumbledore with McGonagall and a few other professors. Harry and Hermione looked at each other before sliding to further hide themselves behind the wall. Hermione looked terrified as she came into contact with Harry's side.  
  
"It's going to be okay," Harry whispered, kissing her forehead. "When Madam Rosmerta comes to get their drink orders, we'll slip past her and out the door. See, the place is starting to fill up. We should be able to get out unnoticed." Hermione nodded weakly. Rosmerta walked up to the professors at that moment. Harry and Hermione slipped silently from their booth. They tried to get lost amongst the students entering the Three Broomsticks. They were five feet from the door when a voice stopped them in their tracks.  
  
"Miss Granger!" Harry's stomach dropped below his feet at the sound of McGonagall. Hermione was also motionless next to him. They both turned to face their Head of House, who looked livid.  
  
"You know you're not allowed in Hogsmeade, Miss Granger! Explain yourself!" Harry tried to step forward to defend Hermione, but she stepped down on his foot to stop him. "Well?" McGonagall shrieked, looking daggers at Hermione. Dumbledore came up behind McGonagall, looking from Harry to Hermione and back. Confusion was quite clear in his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, Professor," Hermione whispered while staring down at her feet.  
  
"What were you thinking? You know you don't have permission to be here. You also know why, Miss Granger." McGonagall's glasses had slid to the end of her nose, and she was studying Hermione over the rims. The last sentence provoked a pang of guilt in Hermione. She seemed to shrink slightly. Harry was about to step forward again when Hermione stepped harder on his foot. Dumbledore didn't miss the slight movement. He looked back up at Hermione and Harry, a knowing twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Minerva, I believe Miss Granger has learned her lesson. Please return to Hogwarts you two." Dumbledore gave them a comforting smile and nod of the head before returning to the other professors. McGonagall shot them another menacing look before following Dumbledore. They walked back to Hogwarts in silence. Harry could tell that Hermione felt guilty about it. This made him feel awful. What if she regretted going with him at all? Hermione said that she didn't feel much like eating, so Harry walked her to her room. When they got to the tapestry, Hermione pushed the brick and the door appeared. Harry took hold of Hermione's hands. He leaned over and brushed his lips lightly against her cheek.  
  
"Don't regret going to Hogsmeade with me today, Hermione," he whispered. She nodded sadly, not really meeting his eyes.  
  
"I don't," she said. She grinned at him slightly before going into her room and closing the door. The tapestry reappeared. Harry felt horrible. Hermione was feeling guilty and it was all his fault. He was the one who'd talked her into going. Harry paced in front of the tapestry, thinking. He had to make it up to her, but how? What could he do to make her feel better? 'Think,' Harry told himself. 'I have to think of something...' All of a sudden, another door appeared. This one was directly across from Hermione's room. Harry knew exactly what the room was, but why had it appeared? He hadn't been thinking of anything specific...  
  
Harry reached out and grasped the knob. He pulled the door open and looked inside. His mouth fell open. 'It's perfect,' Harry thought. 'Hopefully, this will make Hermione feel a lot better...'  
  
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Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think about the story. I'd like to hear what you think is in the room. Any guesses?  
  
BTW, go check out Lissie89's stories She's now working on her third fic which is off to a really good start. As a matter of fact, she's killing me with the curiosity! :) 


	7. The Beginning

A/N: Thanks to ears91 and PinkTribeChick for the wonderful reviews!  
  
Lissie is back from vacation! She pointed out a couple of mistakes to me, so (hopefully) everything has been corrected!  
  
Warning: OoTP SPOILERS!  
  
Disclaimer: All of the HP characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, but she's kind enough to let me borrow them every now and then for my own entertainment...Like now, for instance.  
  
**************  
  
Chapter 7  
  
A week later found Harry standing outside Hermione's room, fidgeting nervously. His hair was combed (well, as combed as it ever would be), and he was wearing causal, but nice Muggle clothing. As Harry took deep breaths to calm himself, he thought about who was on the other side of the door. Hermione had been really quiet since Hogsmeade; she had been withdrawn from others, keeping to herself mostly and not speaking up much during classes. She and Harry were still spending lots of time together, but she had looked upset most of the time. Harry had tried to comfort Hermione as much as she would allow him to. He whispered encouraging words and such, but she would just tell him that she was okay; always okay. He hadn't gotten an opportunity to take her to the Room of Requirement until that day. He didn't think she would've been extremely willing to go a few days ago. McGonagall had written Hermione's parents about what had happened, and Hermione had received a very long letter from her mother the following day. Harry didn't know what was in the letter, but Hermione had been very upset. He hoped she would be willing to go with him tonight. He had planned everything so carefully...  
  
After taking another calming breath, Harry pulled the tapestry aside and pressed on the center stone. After a moment, the door to Hermione's room appeared. Harry knocked lightly and heard approaching footsteps. He smiled broadly as Hermione opened the door.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" From the looks of Hermione, she had been getting ready for bed. She was wearing loose fitting pajama pants and a t-shirt; her hair also hung in an unruly mess around her shoulders, but Harry didn't notice. All he saw was her beautiful brown eyes, slightly wide with surprise, and the looks of a genuine smile on her lips. Harry's heart swelled slightly in his chest. He took a step back and held out his hand.  
  
"I have a surprise for you," he said.  
  
"What are you up to?" she asked in a slightly suspicious, mostly teasing tone of voice.  
  
"Take my hand." Hermione did, smiling up at Harry. Once she was through the door, the tapestry reappeared. Harry twirled Hermione so that her back was facing him.  
  
"Close your eyes," he whispered. Hermione did. Harry tied a black scarf loosely around her head. "Wait here." Harry paced in front of Hermione, his step extremely calculated, and he had a look of upmost concentration on his face. What he wanted in the room was only possible if he thought about it really, really hard. Finally, the door materialized. Harry smiled and walked toward Hermione. He grasped her arm lightly and led her through the door. Harry untied the scarf and let it fall to the ground. He watched as Hermione blinked rapidly, letting her eyes readjust to the low lighting. Then her jaw dropped. Pride surged through Harry's chest at her expression. It had taken him hours to decide what he wanted the room to look like. The one that had appeared to him suddenly a week ago had been nice, but he had improved upon it. Now, the room was positively stunning. Harry's smile widened as he took in their surroundings as well. The first thing one noticed was the soft music playing in the background. Then you noticed a small table, big enough for two, sitting in the middle of the room. On it was a white table cloth, a couple of candles, two wine glasses (already filled with a non-alcoholic beverage), and silverware. Even though there were candles on the table, the lighting in the room was very dim. In fact, most of the lighting came from the ceiling of stars. Harry walked up to stand behind Hermione. He put his arm around her waist, and, when she looked at him, he pointed toward the twinkling stars.  
  
Hermione's eyes widened even more when she saw her name written within the sea of stars. She smiled and turned her body completely toward Harry. He grinned at her before kissing her lightly on the lips. Once apart, Harry led Hermione towards the table. He pulled her seat out and pushed it back underneath her. Then, he disappeared in the darkness. Hermione looked around, slightly alarmed for a moment. Harry reappeared suddenly with two plates, one in each hand. He sat one in front of Hermione and the other in front of his own seat. It was their dinner. Harry sat down and looked at her. She was still looking around the room, an awestruck expression on her face.  
  
"What?" he whispered.  
  
"Harry, this room..." Hermione said, looking at a loss for words for a moment. "It's amazing."  
  
"I hoped you'd like it."  
  
"Like it? It's wonderful!" Harry smiled at her.  
  
"You'd better eat before it gets cold." Hermione picked up her fork and took a bite of the delicious food.  
  
"How long did it take you to come up with this?" she asked after swallowing.  
  
"Oh, not that long. I knew what I wanted the room to look like, but it takes lots of concentration to get it to look like this."  
  
"Why did you...?"  
  
"Why did I do it? Because I wanted to spend time with you, away from others. Since we can't go to Hogsmeade, I thought you might like a nice dinner. Just the two of us." Harry narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "Do you not like it?"  
  
"No, that's not what I meant! I just...never expected this," she said, gesturing at the room around her. "I never thought it could be this wonderful."  
  
"You may think it's wonderful, Hermione, but in my opinion, it's nothing compared to you," Harry whispered. Hermione blushed slightly. They ate in since for a minute before talking about how fast the end of the year was approaching. They would no longer be Hogwarts students in a couple of months. Even though they would be glad when the N.E.W.T.s were over, they were saddened at the thought of leaving Hogwarts behind. Even sadder was the thought of the friends they might not ever see again. Then a thought struck Harry. If he and Hermione went their separate ways, he might not ever see her again. 'I won't let that happen...,' Harry thought.  
  
~ "Can you believe we'll leave Hogwarts behind in a couple of days?" Hermione asked, snuggling closer in Harry's arms. They were back in the Room of Requirement. This time, they were on a tiny stretch of beach with a full moon shining brightly overhead and waves licking at their heels every so often. Harry had gotten very good at concentrating hard and making what he wanted appear in the room, no matter how impossible it seemed. Over the last couple of months, she and Harry had spent lots of time together there. Hermione never cared what was in the room, just so long as she and Harry were together.  
  
"No, I can't," he whispered in her hair.  
  
"You have enough N.E.W.T.s to become and Auror, and I..." Hermione stopped. Harry stiffened suddenly. Hermione didn't bring up the future much because she had no idea what she wanted to do, or what she wanted to happen to them. Harry didn't care what Hermione chose as her career, but he wanted them to be together. That much was for certain. They just hadn't discussed it. Hermione didn't know that Harry had managed to get a fairly large apartment in Diagon Alley, nor did she know that he intended to ask her to marry him. As this thought hit, Harry could feel the weight of the ring in his pocket.  
  
"Hermione," Harry whispered. She turned slightly to face him. "I love you, with all my heart. You know that, right?" Hermione nodded.  
  
"I love you, too, Harry." He reached up and put his hands on either side of Hermione's face.  
  
"I can't imagine going through life without you. I want to wake up every morning and your beautiful eyes be the first thing I see. I want to fall asleep every night with you in my arms. You've been with me since the beginning, and I want us to be together to face whatever else life has in store." Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny black box. "Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" Harry opened the box. Inside, on dark green velvet, sat a simple gold band with a tiny diamond. Hermione looked from the ring to Harry's face, surprise written plainly on her face. For an instant, Harry was afraid she would say no. Then she smiled, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Harry's heart threatened to explode as she nodded yes. He took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.  
  
"Oh, Harry," Hermione whispered, looking at the ring. "It's beautiful." She looked up into Harry's eyes. "I love you." She kissed him. They sat in silence together for a few minutes before Hermione looked frightened.  
  
"What about my parents?" she shrieked.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot," Harry said, reaching into his pocket. "I wrote to your parents earlier this week, asking for their permission." Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to Hermione. "They'll give us their blessing under one condition. We have to stay engaged for at least a year before we get married." Hermione smiled as she scanned the letter.  
  
"Perfect," she said before kissing him again.  
  
~  
  
"Oh Harry, I don't want to leave you," Hermione said, hugging Harry tightly.  
  
"I know, love. I don't want to either, but it won't be for long. Before you know it, we'll be together again. Remember I'm coming for dinner soon?" Hermione nodded against his neck. "See? It won't be long. I promise." Hermione stepped back and looked up at her fiancé. Harry ran a finger down her nose. "Remember what I told you last night?" Hermione nodded again. "What?"  
  
"You said that this is only the beginning," she said, tears threatening to spill.  
  
"That's right," Harry said and kissed her. "You better hurry or you'll miss the train."  
  
"I don't care if I miss it."  
  
"Well, your parents will, and I don't want them angry with us just now." Hermione nodded slowly.  
  
"Okay. I'll write to you soon," Harry said, putting his hand on her cheek.  
  
"Promise?" Hermione asked, finally smiling a little. Harry smiled back.  
  
"Promise." He kissed her again. "Now go on." He playfully swatted Hermione away. She turned and stepped onto the train. Harry looked at the windows, trying to spot her again. Just before the train pulled away, Hermione stuck her bushy head out of a window and waved madly to him. Harry blew her a kiss before waving back. He watched until the train disappeared, and he could no longer see his Hermione. Turning, Harry smiled to himself and whispered, "Just the beginning..."  
  
~THE END~  
  
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I hope this ending was satisfactory. Hopefully it appealed to all you romantic types! :) Even though this story is finished, reviews would be greatly appreciated!  
  
BTW, Lissie deserves lots of credit for helping me out with this story. Thanks Lis! 


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